Method and apparatus for removing wire bristles from castings of gutter brushes and the like



F. BENICHE 2,881,025 TUS FOR REMOVING WIRE BRISTLES METHOD AND APPARA April 7, 1959 FROM CASTINGS OF GUTTER BRUSHES AND THE LIKE! Filed Dec. 23, 1957 INVENTOR 22 /1? fi 'r,

ATTORNEYS FIG. 2.

Unitedv States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING WIRE BRISTLES FROM CASTINGS OF GUT- TER- BRUSHES AND THE LIKE Frank Beniche, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 23, 1957, Serial No. 704,445

6' Claims. (Cl. 300-1) This invention relatesto a method of and means for removing steel wire bristles. from street sweeping brooms.

In the art pertaining to street sweeping brooms, a known form of broom consists ofv an annular member made up of 'a. plurality. of circular segments each having a. number of holes or sockets therein; Each socket has seated therein atuft of. steel wire bristles. Since street sweeping brooms are of the heavy duty type, the bristles are necessarily tightly wedged in their sockets. When the bristles becomeiworn' they must be removed from their sockets and replaced by new ones. One commonly adopted procedure is to apply a hammering force to the bristles in an effort to knock them out of their socket. This has the obvious disadvantage of bending the bristles, requiring the use of other tools to straighten them, a great deal of time being wasted in this collateral operation.

One object of this invention is to provide in the broom art, a novel method of extracting tightly jammed tufts of stiff steel wire bristles from their sockets.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in the broom art, a novel apparatus for removal of tightly held tufts of stiff steel wire bristles from their sockets.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method of extracting tufts of stiff steel wire bristles from their sockets employing a magnetic pulling force and a mechanical pushing force, acting conjointly, to dislodge the tufts of bristles.

These objects are accomplished by a method and apparatus of which an example will be described in the following specification and the novelty whereof will be set forth in the appended claims, to which reference may be made.

In the drawings; which are more or less diagrammatic:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a mounting plate of a street broom and apparatus for removing the bristles from the socket thereof.

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section showing the arrangement of the bristles in a socket of the mounting plate and illustrating the apparatus for removing the bristles.

A mounting plate of a conventional street broom is shown in Figure 1. The plate 10 is segmental in form and has a series of sockets 12. each socket carrying a tuft of tough steel wire bristles 14. Each socket is provided with a cross pin 16 for supporting the bristles and as seen in Figure 2, each tuft of bristles is bent into U-shape over the cross pin 16. In a heavy duty brush of the type under consideration, each tuft of bristles is made up of a sufficient number of Wires to substantially fill the socket and usually the tuft of bristles is tightly wedged in its socket, with the bight of the U-shaped tuft arranged below the top surface of the mounting plate as indicated by numeral 18 in Figure 2.

According to applicants method of removing the bristles, a powerful electro-magnetic force is applied to a tuft of bristles from above as indicated in Figure 2 and a push is applied to the other end of the bristles from below as indicated in Figure 2. The respective electro-magnetic and mechanical forces are applied simultaneously so that the combination of forces is suflicient to loosen and release the tuft of bristles from its socket.

The apparatus for carrying out the method includes a jig for holding the mounting plate 10 stationary. The jig may be of any well known form and, as exemplified here, consists of a pair of clamping devices'20, 21. The apparatus includes also an electro-magnet 22 having the usual winding 24 upon an iron or steel core 26 and provided with a carrying and manipulating handle 28 whereby the electro-magnet can be gripped in the hand and a manual pulling force applied thereto in the use of the electro-magnet upon the tuft of wire. To cooperate with the electro-magnet there is provided a vise 30 which as illustrated consists of-clamping'jaws 32 and 34 arranged generally parallel and having a screw threaded rod 36 extending through the clamping jaws for adjustment of jaw'34 relative to jaw 32. Rod 36 has an operating handle 38 at one of its ends. The clamping jaw-'30 is provided with a' hand grip 40 which maybe grasped when theclamp is closed upon a tuft of Wires so as to exert apushing force upon the-tuft of wires.

In operation, andreferring more particularly to Figure 2 of the drawing, showing a tuft of steel wire bristles tightly wedged in its socket, the operator first takes the vise 30 and applies it to the free ends of the bristles and then turns the hand piece 38 to close the jaws of the vise upon the bristle ends. The clamping action is continued until the bristle ends are tightly gripped. Then the electro-magnet 22 is energized and hand piece 28 thereof is grasped in one hand of the operator while the other hand of the operator takes hold of the hand piece 40 of the vise. The electro-magnet, applied to the bights, exerts a powerful magnetic force upon the tuft of bristles and when pulled tends to withdraw the tuft from the socket. At the same time, the operator uses the vise to apply an upward pushing force. The combined action of the two forces is sufficient to loosen, release and effect removal of the tuft of bristles from its socket. In a similar manner, the operator extracts each of the other tufts of bristles from its socket.

As evident from the above description, applicant has eliminated the necessity of applying a hammering action upon the bristles with the attendant disadvantages thereof.

By the simple expedient of an electro-magnetic pull and a mechanical push even the most stubbornly embedded tuft of steel wire bristles may be removed from its socket.

It will be apparent that the applicant has invented not only a novel method of removing tufts of bristles from street sweeping brooms but also has invented a novel apparatus for carrying into effect his method, the apparatus consisting of a work holding jig, an electromagnet and a clamping vise. These implements are used simultaneously and the effect of their use is a combined effect. The action is conjoint and simultaneous, and all of the implements contribute to the common result of loosening and releasing for extraction a tuft of tightly embedded steel bristles from a broom socket.

If desired, the magnet 22 and vise 30 may be fixedly positioned to hold the tufts against movement, while the segment 10 is moved to free the tufts.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiment is to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive of the invention, and those modifications which come within the Patented Apr. 7, 1959 meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are included therein.

I claim:

1. The method of extracting a tuft of steel wire bristles from a base socket in which they are tightly jammed, consisting in the step of simultaneously applying a magnetic pull and a mechanical push at opposite ends of the tuft of wires.

2. In the art of street sweeper brooms in which tufts of steel wire bristles are tightly jammed in holes in a mounting plate and inaccessible for gripping by mechanical means, the method of removing a tuft of bristles from its hole, comprising magnetically pulling one end of said tuft while mechanically pushing the other end of said tuft.

3. In the art of street sweeper brooms in which a tuft of U-shaped steel wire bristles is tightly held in a hole in a mounting plate with the bight portions of the bristles located within the hole and below the surface of the mounting plate so as to be out of reach of a mechanical gripping tool, the method of removing such tuft of wire bristles which comprises immobilizing the mounting plate, gripping the free ends of the tuft of bristles by means of a vise, applying a magnet to the bight portion of the tuft of bristles and exerting a simultaneous push-pull force upon the tuft of bristles by means of the vise and magnet.

4. In the art of street sweeper brooms in which a tuft of U-shaped steel wire bristles is tightly held in a hole in a mounting plate with the bight portions of thebristles located within the hole and below the surface of the mounting plate, the method of removing such tuft of wire bristles which comprises clamping the mounting plate in a jig, applying an electro-magnet to the bight portions of the wires, gripping the free ends of the tuft of bristles by means of a vise, energizing the magnet, and exerting a simultaneous push-pull force upon the wires by means of the vise and magnet. V

5. An apparatus for extracting a tightly embedded tuft of steel wire bristles from a base socket comprising means for holding said base socket, means for gripping and applying a pushing force against one end of said tuft and magnetic means for applying a pulling force upon the other end of said tuft.

6. In the art of street sweeper brooms in which a tuft of U-shaped steel wire bristles is tightly held in a hole in a mounting plate with the bight portions of the bristles located within the hole and below the surface of the mounting plate, apparatus for extracting such tuft of bristles which comprises a jig for holding the mounting plate, an electro-magnet for applying a powerful pull on the bight portions of the bristles and a vise for gripping and pushing upon the other end of the tuft. of bristles.

No references cited. 

